In a report released on Oct. 29, the Commission of Ecuador's National Assembly initiated an accelerated process to approve a draft Telecommunications Law that has been “sleeping” for three years. Civil society has been on alert about the issue since the draft was introduced in 2011 — at that time, some advances were made, including an amendment supporting Network Neutrality — but the recent call for its analysis received no replies.

Assembly members discussed various aspects of the proposed law, including a special rate that would apply to the leading mobile phone service operator, and a provision that would give the Ministry of Defense increased powers in situations of “public calamity”.

The [bill gives] the Ministry of Defense total control in the face of “public calamity”
The [bill enables the] dissolution of an autonomous entity of control to create an agency controlled by political power
The [bill enables the] protection of personal data only in business related cases, not in others